⚡ 1480 RENAISSANCE DR

MEMORANDUM

TO: Sunland America Corp. Development Committee
FROM: Senior BESS Site Evaluation Analyst
DATE: October 26, 2023
SUBJECT: Comprehensive Site Diligence Analysis – Project "Renaissance" (1480 Renaissance Dr, Park Ridge, IL)

This report provides a comprehensive due diligence analysis for the potential development of a distribution-scale (≤5MW) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at the subject property in Park Ridge, Cook County, Illinois. The analysis identifies significant potential rewards, primarily through IRA incentives, but flags critical deficiencies in grid infrastructure data that present a high degree of project risk.

1. Site Access & Topography

Road Access & Equipment Delivery: The property is located within a developed commercial office park with public road access. Based on satellite imagery, Renaissance Drive and surrounding roads are paved, well-maintained, and appear capable of supporting standard construction traffic. However, the critical consideration is access for oversized and overweight vehicles, such as a lowboy trailer carrying a 50-ton transformer or 30-ton BESS container. The turning radii at intersections within the office park appear manageable, but a formal route survey is required to confirm clearance and weight limits on local roads and bridges between the nearest interstate (I-294) and the site. Feasibility is considered high but requires verification.

Terrain & Buildability: The site is in Cook County, which is characterized by extremely flat topography. This is a significant advantage, as it will minimize civil engineering and earthwork costs. The existing site appears to be a developed parcel with an office building and associated parking, suggesting the ground is stable and graded. The primary buildability concern is the significant discrepancy in listed acreage (35.02 acres vs. 2.97 acres from Regrid). Assuming the 2.97-acre figure is more accurate for the specific APN, this is sufficient for a ≤5MW BESS project, which typically requires 1-2 acres. The existing parking lot could be an ideal location for the BESS compound, reducing construction costs.

Easement Concerns: As a developed commercial parcel, the site is almost certainly encumbered by multiple utility easements (power, water, sewer, communications). A full ALTA survey and title report are mandatory to identify the location and restrictions of these easements. Any easement running through the proposed BESS footprint could require costly relocation or render the layout infeasible.

2. Environmental Constraints

Flood & Wetlands: FEMA Flood Zone and wetlands status are both listed as Unknown. These are critical, potentially fatal-flaw risks. An immediate desktop review using the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) is the first priority. If the site is within a 100-year floodplain (e.g., Zone AE), all equipment would need to be elevated above the Base Flood Elevation, adding substantial cost. The presence of jurisdictional wetlands would trigger significant setbacks (typically 50-100 feet) and require permitting from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, adding complexity and reducing the buildable area.

Habitat & Protected Species: The data indicates no critical habitat or protected areas on or immediately adjacent to the site. Given its location in a dense, developed suburban area, the risk of encountering endangered species is extremely low. This is a positive attribute, though a routine check of the USFWS IPaC database is still recommended as a box-checking exercise.

Contamination & Brownfield Status: The property is not identified as a brownfield, but a Superfund site is noted within a two-mile radius. This presents a low-to-moderate risk of potential soil or groundwater contamination from off-site sources. A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is essential to establish a baseline and satisfy financing requirements. While this proximity to a contaminated site is a risk, it does not qualify the project for the 10% IRA brownfield tax credit adder, which requires the subject property itself to meet the specific CERCLA definition of a brownfield.

Other Considerations: The site is not in the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area. Proximity to pipelines and gas wells is not a concern, which simplifies safety and setback considerations.

3. Grid Infrastructure & Interconnection

Substation & Distribution Infrastructure: This section represents the single greatest risk to the project. There is no data provided on the nearest substation, its distance, or its available capacity. A BESS project is not viable without a cost-effective Point of Interconnection (POI). The site is in a commercial park, so a 3-phase distribution feeder is certainly on-site or nearby, but its voltage, capacity, and configuration are unknown. The likely interconnecting utility is Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), which operates in the PJM RTO.

Transmission Infrastructure: A 138kV ComEd transmission line is located 1.5 miles away. For a ≤5MW project, interconnecting at transmission voltage is economically infeasible. The cost of a 1.5-mile line extension and a dedicated substation would likely exceed $10 million, making this option a non-starter.

Recommended Interconnection Strategy: The only viable path is a distribution-level interconnection, likely to a ComEd 12.47kV or 34.5kV feeder. The immediate priority is to identify the nearest 3-phase distribution lines and the substation they originate from. This will require utility map requests and a study by an electrical engineering consultant.

Estimated Costs & Timeline: The cost is highly speculative. A best-case scenario (tapping an adjacent overhead line with available capacity) might be $300k - $750k. A worst-case scenario (requiring a new feeder exit from a substation 0.5 miles away) could easily exceed $1.5M